Infant&#39;s thumb or finger guard



Feb. 5, 1935.

| M KLOHS INFANTS THUMB OR FINGER GUARD Filed Jan. 19, 1934 FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES "PATENT e m 1,990,384 f INFANTSTHUMB on FINGER GUARD Lena, M. Klohs, Cincinnati, Ohio Application.January 19, 1 934,. Serial-No. 707,345

6 Claims.

My invention relates to guards of the kind placed on an infants thumb orfinger to wean the'infan't of the habit of sucking the thumb or finger.

5 So'far asI am aware, most devices for this purpose heretofore providedhave been of metal or some such hard substance. 'If of a non-metallichard substance, the device is liable to breakage, with exposureof sharpedges which may seriously injure the infants mouth or hands. Where suchdevices have been made'of non-metallic material not-liable to'breakage,they have been of material such asleathenwhich becomessoaked with-salivaand; is otherwise rendered unsanitary. The metallic devices are usuallycomplicated in construction, and not the most suitable to come incontact with the infants mouth, for reasons of sanitation and safetyagainst laceration of the infantsmouth or hands.- 7

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple, fairly durable,safe sanitary guard, of a material which is soft enough to avoid injuryto the infant-in any of the ways above mentioned. Suchmaterial may berubber, of a firm yet flexiblecomposition, hard enough to afford thenecessary unpleasantnessof contact with the, mouth, but not so hard asto be injurious, especially in case of breakage, as for instance wouldbe the case with what is known as hard rubber, or similar 36 materials,such as molded phenolic condensation products and the like.

' A further object is to provide the mouth-contacting part of an articleof material of the character above mentioned, of such surfaceconfiguration as to add to the unpleasantness of mouth contact, toeifectively discourage the habit, yet without liability of injury to theinfant. Preferably, Iprovide perforations in the device which willprevent the formation of vacuum, thereby tending topreclude thehabit-encouraging sensation derived from the resistance to the suckingaction,'such perforations being arranged in conjunction with the surfaceconfigurations in such manner as to be most effective while leaving thesurface configurations fully effective in their function as abovementioned.

A further object is to provide a simple, yet most effective and durableformation of the device, by which it is readily secured to and detachedfrom the infants hand, and which will notbe' chafingor otherwiseinjurious or uncomfortable.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description,illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in-which- Figure '1 isaperspective view of an infants hand with my device applied to the thumbthereof. v V

Figure 2 is an elevation of the inner side of the device, instraightened condition.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the device on the line 3--3 of Figure2, also showing the thumb therein. a

Figure 4 isa side elevation of the device; Figure -5 is a perspectiveview of an infants hand with the device, slightly modified, applied to afinger of the hand.

As-I prefer to construct my improved guard, the body 1- is of cap orthimble form, fitting around the thumb and over the end thereof.Interiorly, -this=body portion 1 is smooth and formed to fit the thumbapproximately, and not very snugly. Exteriorly, this body portion 1 isformed with a'series of annular ribs 2, 3 and 4, extending around it, insuccession from-near the tip or outer end of the portion 1 abouthalf-way down tion 1 is such that it ends shortly above the joint of thethumb, or at least not so far extending therebelow as to interfere withthe bending of the thumb. These ribs 2, 3 and rare of approximatelysemi-circular :cross section, and the spacing between them is aboutthat, or slightly more than, the width of the ribs. These, ribs 2, 3 and4, the top one 2-ofwhich is the'smallest, surrounding the reducedportion of the body 1 nearest the tip, provide a surroundingseriesof-corrugations which not only are; disagreeable to the touch ofthe infants lips, but make it difficult for the lips to makeeifectivesucking contact with the body 1, because of theircircumferential extent. In addition, I prefer to provide, in the spacesbetween adjacent ribs 2 and 3, and 3 and 4, chcumferential series ofperforations 5 and 6, respectively, entirely through the wall ofthebody 1. These prevent the formation of vacuuminside thebody aroundthe thumb, since thebody 1, as previously mentioned, does not fit thethumb closely, and thusallows air to enter at its bottom around thethumb, which is idly drawn through the perforations, without resistanceto the infants efforts, so that the habit-satisfying sensation isprecluded. The combination of these perforations, with thecircumferential'series of ribs 2, 3' and 4 above described, isespecially effective in reducing the facility of sucking action; and theribs, in addition, as before mentioned, are disagreeable iwithout beinginjurious to the mfants' mouth. Theresult is that the infant is weanedof the habit very readily by the use- "of myguard.

The means for fastening the guard on the hand, as I prefer to provideit, comprises the inner tongue or flap 7, integral with the lower edgeof the body or cap portion 1 at a portion thereof whereby it is adaptedto extend down along the inner face of the thumb, terminating about atthe top of the heel of the hand, or at such a point as not to interferewith the bending of the thumb at its joint with the hand. In its lowerend part thisflap '7 has'the aperture 8'. Integral with the oppositelower edge or rim portion of the cap or body 1 is the outer flap 9,about twice as long as the inner flap 7, so as to reach down to theregion of the wrist. At its lower end portion, this longer outerfiap 9has the two oppositely extending tongues 10 and 11,. about:

equal in length and of suchlength that, with the width of the flap 9,the structure will extenda" little more than half way around the wrist,when it is flexed. The end portions of these tongues 10 and 11 haveapertures 12 and 13, respectively. Preferably, the entire structureabove described, including the body or cap portion 1 and its ribs, andits flaps and tongues, is made of firm yet flexible rubber as previouslymentioned,so that the attaching flaps and tongues may readily conform tothe hand for securing the device on the hand by means of a single lengthoftape, string or the like passed through the apertures 8, 12 and 13.

As shown in Figure 1, this length of tape has its back free'portion 14passed through the aperture 12 of the tongue 10 lying at the back of thehand, a portion 15 passing from here around the inner side of the wristand through the aperture 13 of the tongue 11 lying at the inner side ofthe hand, a portion 16 passing from here up to and through the aperture8 of the inside short tongue or flap '7, a portion 1'7 passing from heredown to and through'the aperture 13 of the inner tongue 11 through whichthe tape previously passed, and finally, the free portion 18, passingaround the inner side of thewrist and tied to the first mentioned freeportion 1; at 19. This arrangement of the tape, permitted by the novelformation of the flaps and tongues of my device, is very readily madeand tied, and. it holds the device securely enough in place on thethumb, yet does not bind or hamper the natural movement of the infantshand. In removing the guard, it is not necessary to unthread thetapefrom the apertures, but merely to allow it to slack, the free end parts14 and 18 being left long enough to permit-this. In Figure 5 I show myguard applied to'the index finger of the infants hand, there beingoccasional cases of infants who have the habit of sucking afingerinstead of the thumb. It will beunderstood that the guard may be appliedto any of the other fingers in like manner. The guard body 1 and itsdetails are as in the first example, and are indicated bythe samereference numerals. The guard may differ in that the outer flap 9a,which passes down past the base joint of the finger, is longer, asindicated by the dotted representation of this flap in Figure 5, endingat the wrist region and having the opposite tongues 10a and 11a, withapertures 12a and 13a, respectively. The inner tongue or flap 7a, withits aperture 8a, is substantially the same as in theprevious example.The tape is applied substantially the same as inthe previous exe--m Itwill be understood that modificationsmay occur, and that 1 am notlimited to the precise disclosure herein, but claim:

1. An infants thumb or finger guard comprising a cap-shaped body to fitaround the thumb, having spaced annular outstanding ribs there- 5 aroundand perforations through the walls thereof between the adjacent ribs,and having a tongue extending down along the inner side of the thumb tothe region of its joint with the hand, and a flap extending "downalongthenuterside 59f the thumb to the region of the wrist withton'g-ues extending in opposite directions from this flap at leastpartly around the wrist, the end portions of these tongues and of saidtongue at the inner side of the thumb having apertures, and a flexibleelement with a portion passed through the aperture of the flap tongue atthe back of the wrist, leaving a freeendp'ortion thereat, then aroundthe inner side of the wrist and through the aperture of the fiap tongueat the front of the wrist, then up to and through the aperture ofJJJthetongue at the inner side of the thumb,-then dowi1i to'and through theaperture of said flap tongueat' the front of the wrist, through whichthe ele ment was previously passed, and then around' the inner'side ofthe wrist and tied to theaforemen l tioned free end portion. i I v 2. Aninfants thumb or finger guard compris ing a caph haped bodyofmaterialyielding to the tissues of the infants mouthyfdrmed tofitloosely around the infants thumb or [finger and having an outstandingrelatively wide and low rib extending around its exterior surface, andhaving a row of perforations through its wall; closely alongside saidrib,and being formed t'o terminate adjacent the "outermost joint of thethumb or finger, and means connected to'said cap shaped body, toengagearound the infants: hand, to hold said body in fplacein itsloosely fittingrelation to the thumbor finger.

3. An'infants thumb or finger guard compris ing a cap shaped body ofmaterial yielding to the tissues of the infants mouth, formed to fit lenes;

around the infants thumb or'finger and having a plurality of spacedoutstanding relatively wide and low ribs extending around its exteriorsurf. face, and having a row of perforations through its .wall betweensaid ribs, and being formed to: terminate adjacent the outermost; jointof the thumb or finger, and means connected to the cap shaped body, toengage around the infants hand, to hold said body in place in itsloosely fitting relation to the thumb or finger. f,

v 4. An infants thumb or finger guard comprising a cap shaped body ofmaterial yielding to the tissues of the infants mouth, formed tofitloos'ely', around the infants thumborfinger and to ter-Iminateadjacent the outermost joint of the thumb. or finger, said bodyhaving a flap of material similar to that of the body, extending fromits termination adjacent said joint, .down along the inner side of thehand to the region of the joint of the thumb or finger with the hand,and hav-T ing a longer flap of said similar material extend -1 ing fromsaid termination down along the outer side of the hand to the region ofthe wrist, and. means connected to the respective fiapsand adapted to besecured around the wrist of the hand. t 5. An infants thumb or fingerguard as set forth in claim 4, in which the longer flap has tonguesextending in opposite directions fromits lower end part, to lie at leastpartially around the;;wrist, said tonguesbeing the parts of said longerflap to which the means is connected for securing around the wrist.

6. An infants thumb or finger guard as set forth in claim 4, in whichthe longer flap has tongues extending in opposite directions from itslower part, to lie at least partially around the wrist, the terminalportions of the shorter flap and of said tongues of the longer flaphaving apertures, and the means that is secured around the wristcomprising a flexible element with a portion passed through the apertureof the flap tongue at the back of the wrist, leaving a free end portionthereat, then around the inner side of the wrist and through theaperture of the flap tongue at the front of the wrist, then up to andthrough the aperture of the flap at the inner side of the thumb orfinger, then down to and through the aperture of said flap tongue at thefront of the wrist, through which the element was previously passed, andthen around the inner side of the wrist and, tied to the aforementionedfree 1 end portion.

LENA M; KLOHS.

